Monday, February 27, 2017

Welcome. This week's word prompt is "air". I continue with the story, "Reunited". I hope you're enjoying it. Scroll down for the link to return to Tuesday Tales and my website.

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“As I was saying, it’s a program about bringing people
together. Unscripted, reality TV. So, you’d never know what was going to
happen. I mean the viewer wouldn’t. Of course, the producers would have the
reins.”

“What do you mean, ‘have the reins’?”

“They’d be in control. I mean if people started fighting,
like a knock-down-drag-out, or something. They’d step in.”

“What if they started ripping their clothes off and making
passionate love?” Shocked at his own
boldness, he sensed color heading to his face.

“Why, Mike! You made yourself blush,” she said, laughing.

“Answer the question.”

“Of course they’d step in. We don’t want the show to be
yanked because it’s porn, or something.”

“I see. So, it would be okay to do that in private?” A small smile curled his lips.

“Private is private,” she grinned. “I think that kind of
tension, sexual tension, will keep viewers glued to their sets. They’ll want to
know if they slept together or not and the next day, the way they interact, will
probably reveal the truth. But we can’t have that on camera.”

He nodded. “I get it.”

She took a deep breath and let it out. “So, would you be
interested?”

“You want me to pretend to fall in love with you for a trip
to the Caribbean?”

“It’s not that tacky. Honestly. It would help me out so much.
If we could capture an audience, the program would get a contract.”

“Are you a producer?”

She nodded. “I am. Along with Ned Collins. We’re the
founders, the creators of the show. But we’d be the main producers. Or Ned
would. Guess I’d have to step back a bit if I was on camera.”

“This Ned guy. Who is he?”

“A friend.”

“That’s all?”

“Yep.”

She couldn’t meet his gaze. He didn’t believe her. So what if
this Ned guy was her boyfriend? I mean they’d only be pretending to fall in
love, right? He certainly wasn’t ready for a relationship. So this might be
perfect. Getting him out of the house would make his mother happy. And she was
right. He’d been hiding out for a long time, licking his wounds. A wicked idea crossed his mind. How far would Cassie be willing to go
to make this show a success? Would she sleep with him? The idea gave him a
twinge between the legs.

“It’s all going to be make-believe? Just for the camera?”

“Of course. I mean, I don’t know you at all anymore. It’s
been ages.”

“So that means you couldn’t possibly fall in love with me,
right? Guaranteed?”

“Nothing in life is guaranteed, Mike. Who knows?” Her eyes
twinkled with mischief. God, he’d missed that, all these years.

“It’s stupid. Crazy. Idiotic,” he paused, “I’ll do it.” His
rational self jumped up and down inside his head, screaming to back off, run,
as fast as he could. But he’d already committed. The idea of doing something
totally spontaneous and dumb appealed to him. He’d led such a staid life. He
hadn’t taken a chance on anything since he last hung out with Cassie.

He’d forgotten how insane life was with her, how much fun.
Living in the funk he’d been in, hadn’t done anything to help him. He needed a
jolt, something off-the-wall. And this was it. If he got to sleep with Cassie,
so much the better. But even if he didn’t, he’d get to spend time with her. Her
natural energy and enthusiasm might lift him up the way it always had.

With an alcoholic father, tension had always been in the air.
His mother, tight-lipped and grim most of the time, tried to make up for it. She
worked hard at a local restaurant, waiting tables and tending bar. The
atmosphere at home when he was growing up was dark. Cassie shone like the sun
in his life. After school, they’d hang together and she’d get him in some awful
messes. But they always ended up laughing about it.

Cassie had brought life and excitement to his days. Damn, he needed something and maybe she was it.

Tuesday, February 21, 2017

Welcome! This is picture prompt week. And I have to keep this to 300 words only. I'm still with "Reunited". Scroll down for the link back to Tuesday Tales and my website. Thanks for stopping by.

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Mike
looked at the pretty, young woman. What she was presenting was ridiculous.
About to raise his hand for the check, he remembered what awaited him at home.
The empty room haunted him. Yes, his sister had cleaned out all of Patty’s
stuff. But he still felt her presence there. He’d tucked away her favorite
bear, Briny, in the closet.

And the
room still had her sweet scent. His wife and his little daughter, just six and
the light of his life died in a car crash two years ago. Mike had gone to
therapy. He’d taken a long trip, tried everything to forget, but there was no
way he could ever forget her shining smile, and effervescent personality.

He sat
back. He’d listen to Cassie for a while longer. As crazy as her idea was, it kept
him from going home. He ordered another drink. Maybe by the time,
he’d be tired enough to sleep without waking up and ending up in her empty
room.

“Sorry,
my mind wandered. What were you saying?” She had grown
more beautiful over the years. And the shy little tomboy now flashed
significant cleavage his way. Who was he to ignore what was on display? That
would be rude, wouldn’t it?

As he
watched her explain her dream, her lively expression, broad smile, and sexy
body sucked him in. Maybe he’d shuffle back a few years and get what he’d
wanted so bad ten years ago -- one glorious roll in the hay with hot, little Cassie
Newsome. Maybe she’d make him forget what he had lost that stormy day in February.

He took her hand in his, and focused on her words. Could
something this totally insane save him? Who was he to doubt Cassie’s ambition
and determination? Damn it. She turned him on.

Monday, February 13, 2017

Welcome! The word prompt this week is "love". How appropriate! I'm continuing with the story "Reunited" this week. Hope you enjoy it. Scroll down for links back to the great stories at Tuesday Tales and my website.

Thanks for stopping by.

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Cassie
arrived at the bar first. She learned that, on a blind date, being there before
the guy meant you could scope him out and if he looked really bad, you could hide
in the ladies room and sneak out the back door. It gave her the upper hand.

This
time was different. But she needed to be in control here because there were big
stakes involved. If the program “Reunited” took off, she and Ned would be
multimillionaires. This had to work.

Mike
walked in wearing a blue, button-down shirt, dark gray slacks, and a tan
corduroy sports jacket. Having filled out some since high school, he looked
good. She smiled and waved. He noticed her, raised his hand and headed for her
table.

When he
sat down, he didn’t lean over to kiss her cheek or even shake hands. There was something
different about Mike. She didn’t know what it was, but she sensed it.

“You
look great, Mike. Life must agree with you,” she said.

He shot
her an odd look and a half grin. “I’m doing okay. You look terrific. Even
better than in high school.”

Cassie
laughed. “We were such good friends, but just friends.”

“Maybe
you were. But not me.”

“No?”
Her eyebrows shot up.

“I had a
huge crush on you.”

“You
did?” Her voice registered genuine surprise.

“You
didn’t know? Really? And when I trumped up that story about Mary
Callahan, I thought for sure you’d see right through it.” He grinned.

“A
story? She wasn’t after you?”

“No one
was after me. But I knew you’d rescue me if you thought I was in trouble.”

“Got
that right. So agreeing to go to the prom with you was just because you wanted
to go with me?”

“In the
worst way.”

“Why you
little fibber! You fooled me completely.”

“Worked,
too,” he replied, raising his hand for the waitress.

“Sure
did. I had no idea.”

He’d
crushed on Cassie? That threw her, it was unexpected. But not now, as he sat
across the table from her, aloof, sizing her up. Did he think she’d embarrass
him about the prom? She’d had a phenomenal time, but it had simply come too
late to do much about it. She had gone to college in Oregon and he had attended a university
in Maryland. Even their vacations didn’t dovetail. He was on trimester while
she was on the traditional two-semester schedule.

Warmth
surrounded her heart. For an instant, she wondered where she would be, if they
had attended the same school. His admission changed everything. Remembering
sneaking a beer or two and making out with Mike in his car, she had assumed he’d
been drunk and made out with her because that’s what you were supposed to do.
It had changed her, the way she’d felt about him, but she was too shy to say
anything.

He’d
gone to be a counselor at a sleep-away camp and she’d waitressed all summer.
Cassie had been ready to give up her virginity to Mike, but never got the
chance. The question of where they would be today if they’d started dating
sooner or stayed together brought a sting of tears behind her eyes. Would they have fallen in love?

His dark
brown eyes connected with hers. She wondered if he could read the regret there?
Probably –so she lowered her gaze to her wine. This wasn’t going the way she’d
hoped it would at all.

“So,
tell me. Why did you want to see me? The anticipation’s been killing me. What’s
up, Cassie?”

Monday, February 6, 2017

Welcome! This week the word prompt is "metal". I'm continuing with the story "Reunited" Scroll down to the link to return to Tuesday Tales and read the other stories and to get to my website. Thank you for stopping by!

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After a
call to the reunion committee, Cassie secured Mike’s phone number. She paced,
thinking about what she’d say, her opening line.

She
stood by the window, gripping the metal security bar, and remembering their
senior prom night. The whisperings at school were all about hotel rooms, types
of condoms and giving it up for the first time. Cassie’s first boyfriend,
captain of the football team, had pressed her for sex. She’d only been fifteen
at the time. When he found out, he dumped her, to avoid trouble.

She
ended up bouncing around to a science nerd, a shy boy named Nathan. Nathan had
been the smartest kid in the class. By then, she was seventeen and curious
about sex. She’d coaxed him into going all the way one steamy July night. When
he parents found out, they threatened to cut off his college money if he didn’t
give up “that cheap trick, Cassie.” Reluctantly, he broke up with her.

More
humiliated than heart-broken, she’d sworn off guys. Then Mike came along. They
became friends. When he asked her to the prom so he could turn down Scary
Stacy, she’d agreed. With Mike, she’d have a good time and there’d be no parental
disapproval or pressure for sex. She’d enjoyed herself more than she had
expected. After that they went to different colleges and lost touch.

She took
a long breath, poured another glass of wine, then dialed.

“Hello?”

“Mike?”

“Yeah.
Who’s this?”

“It’s
Cassie Newsome. You might not remember me, but we went to the senior prom
together.”

“Cassie?
You’re fucking kidding me. Oops. Sorry.”

“No
problem. Yeah, it’s me.”

“Well
how the hell are you?”

She took
a sip and smiled. “Just fine. You?”

“Okay.
You going to the reunion?” he asked.

“The
tenth? Wouldn’t miss it.”

“Me,
too. Guess I’ll see you there. We can catch up then.”

“Wait!”
She sensed he was about to hang up. “I’m going to be in your neighborhood for
work,” she lied. “I was wondering if we could have a drink together.”

“Oh,
that’s why you called? Sure. When?”

They made
arrangements. When she hung up, she called Ned.

“I made
contact with Mike.”

“Great.”

“I’m
meeting him tomorrow night in D. C. for a drink,” she said.

“Fantastic!
I know you can set this up, baby. We’re on the way.”

“Right.”

“So what
are you doing on the phone with me? Shouldn’t you be catching a train?” He
asked.

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About Tuesday Tales

I started writing nonfiction about fifteen years ago. I've had seven nonfiction books published. In January, 2010 I started writing fiction, culminating in my first published work, "Now and Forever 1, a Love Story".

I have written two sequels and one has been published, Now and Forever 2, the Book of Danny, by Secret Cravings Publishing. I just finished my first book of just romance with no mystery plot.